Hurt
by bellefantastique
Summary: It didn’t surprise him, but it did hurt." Mickey and Jack cope with being add-ons in the world of DoctorRose. Oneshot, kind of angsty comedy. This is a SLASH story. M for safety. JackMickey MickeyJack. M for language and light mentions of sex.


A/N: AU time! (AU means alternate Universe to those who don't know) This is probably one of the only Jack/Mickey fics out there...but whatever, it was fun to write. It is unbeta'd and not my best work but this plotbunny bit me and I just couldn't ignore the infected bite! Enjoy!

It was beginning to get to him.

Rose and The Doctor lived in their own little world, they held hands, they exchanged those lasting touches and they left those lingering looks lingering one second too long. It didn't surprise Mickey when the Doctor came strolling into the TARDIS kitchen humming happily to himself one morning. His hair mussed up and his whole exterior glowing, shortly followed by a blushing Rose, whose hair was equally ruffled.

It didn't surprise him, but it did hurt.

It hurt because she'd never looked at _him_ like that, she'd never kissed _him_ like that and she'd never moved into _his_ room. They were unbearable. Mickey didn't think they were _trying_ to hurt him, or Jack either, for that matter; they were just, simply besotted with each other.

He knew it was getting to Jack too, but from another angle, Mickey saw him stealing glances at the Doctor, giving the oblivious alien winning smiles only to have them mistaken as teasing or platonic gestures. Mickey found he was very observant when he was lonely.

And so things continued.

One night, possibly in September or October, the Doctor and Rose were in _their_ room and Mickey's room happened to be the one next door. He buried himself in his blankets, trying very hard not to hear, but it proved too difficult, so sighing, he got to his feet, gathered his bedding and set out to find another room to bunk in.

Mickey had forgotten that the TARDIS was big and alive. He got lost. He tried retracing his steps, but the corridors had changed, he tried walking in a completely different direction but that didn't help either. He was just storming through a particularly dark corridor when he collided violently with Jack Harkness and a glass of milk.

Mickey scrubbed the worst of the milk off his face with his pyjama sleeve and there was a pause as he and Jack goggled at each other before both of them ducked down to wipe up the puddle on the floor with the already sopping duvet. They felt their way to the kitchen and Mickey stripped off the sheets, stuffing them, half heartedly into the washing machine. He sighed.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause.

"Couldn't take it anymore, huh?" the soft American drawl came from somewhere near the sink. Mickey bit his lip.

"Nah," he replied, "I'm thinking of jus' leavin'."

He heard Jack laugh bitterly.

"You say that, but you don't mean it. You love her too much to leave."

Mickey did not reply. He was never one to tell a lie.

"How do you cope with it?" he asked suddenly and then immediately wished he hadn't. It wasn't like he knew Jack all that well, usually Mickey was a pretty closed person, his love life-or there lack of- had always been something he preferred not to voice, especially not to someone who was probably, although he hated to admit it, more sexually successful than himself. Jack said nothing and Mickey was beginning to think he hadn't heard him when he heard the other man whisper something right into his left ear.

"I find someone else." And then to Mickey's intense shock Jack dipped his head downwards to where Mickey was crouched beside the washing machine and kissed him, hard.

And even more shocking was the fact that Mickey kissed back, because he was fairly sure he wasn't gay but even so, Jack was a good kisser and it was actually kind of...Jack bit down hard on Mickey's bottom lip making him gasp and unintentionally allow the other man to deepen the kiss, it was dizzying, everything flashed and sparked as Mickey relaxed into him, but then Jack had pulled away and was pressing kisses to his ears, his jaw, the nape of his neck and then he felt buttons being undone and butterfly kisses dancing across his chest.

"So," whispered Jack between kisses, "Do," kiss, "you," kiss, "wanna?" and then the older man claimed his mouth again, preventing Mickey from giving an immediate answer.

He probably shouldn't, okay-he almost defiantly shouldn't...but...he was lonely and hurt and...well he'd come on this trip to try new things and he'd certainly never done this before...

He pushed Jack away and dared to steal a glance, the captain was panting slightly, dark pupils and...hurt, yes that was defiantly hurt in his eyes, and that, well...that clinched it, really.

"Yeah...yes."

Jack gave him a grin and wrenched him to his feet.

"Come on then..."

It was like nothing else Mickey had ever experienced, it was painful and wonderful and familiar and exotic and stupid and glorious all in one. He was clumsy and inexperienced but Jack was patient and gentle and made him forget about Rose. Because with Rose it always seemed he enjoyed it more than her and that made him feel inadequate, he was sure it wasn't malicious, but it was how things went, every time. But with Jack it was different because he didn't love Jack and so it didn't matter.

They continued to do it for a while, every time one of them felt awful they'd find a time they could steal away and fuck. It couldn't be referred to as anything else because there was no love, only a sort of grudging respect and there was no talking or messing around, it was just sex, just a drug, an escape from the real world in which Mickey and Jack were footnotes to the fabulous Doctor and Rose.

Everything ends though and after several months Mickey found that maybe he had a little more than 'grudging respect' for the former time agent. He began thinking about him, lapsing into fantasy in a way he used to do with Rose. And that's when he ended it, he had to, he couldn't deal with falling in love again, he had barely begun to heal from the last time. And so he ripped out the weed before its roots climbed too deep. He wasn't stupid enough to believe Jack would stay with him forever.

And so he announced he was leaving, to his surprise Rose was genuinely upset, she looked straight into his eyes and without saying a word she apologised. Mickey supposed she must have guessed why he was leaving, he wondered if she also realised this was a real goodbye- because he couldn't wait for her, not anymore. Maybe he would go to America or Africa, travel for a bit, try and forget her...and him. He hugged Rose, shook the Doctor's hand and dragged his two cases to the TARDIS door.

"Here," The familiar American drawl swam into the control room, "I'll help you with one of them."

A sense of foreboding relief swept over Mickey, part of him was pleased to see the stupid yank but the other part was squirming at the idea of having to say goodbye.

"No...it's fine..."

"Oh come on, it's the least I could do." Jack turned to the Doctor, "You better wait for me, Doc, I'll be back in a while." He took the handle of the lightest case and swept out the door, leaving Mickey to haul the heavier case out by himself, giving an almost weeping Rose and an unreadable Doctor a half wave.

When he stepped out of the blue doors Jack was already far ahead, practically sprinting towards Mickey's building, Mickey growled and hobbled after him, struggling with the heavy suitcase. After a lot of huffing and puffing he reached his floor, Jack was leaning against Mickey's door, arms crossed. He moved silently out of the way allowing Mickey to unlock the door. They dragged the cases into the hallway.

Jack was staring at him, Mickey bit his lip and tried to avoid his gaze, he cleared his throat and stuck out his hand.

"Thanks, Jack...for everything." He gestured at the cases with his other hand, but they both knew he wasn't referring to the luggage. There was a pause, Jack did not reach out to shake Mickey's hand, and so, feeling rather stupid he lowered it. "Are...eh...um...you ok?"

"Gee, I dunno," Jack said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I guess I was hoping for more of a goodbye than a handshake, _God knows_ why!"

Mickey sighed.

"What do you want from me?"

"You even have to ask?" Jack gave him that stupid grin.

"I can't." Mickey growled, jaw set.

"I'm not Rose, Mickey." Jack drawled, still grinning. Mickey froze and suddenly the older man's lips were on his own again and Mickey reasoned with himself that it was probably easier to give in and kiss back.

When the broke apart they were both breathing heavily, Jack gave him one last lopsided beam and hugged him.

"Next time I expect to see some new moves, Smith."

Mickey blushed and thumped him half-heartedly on the arm, Jack kissed him, _hard_, and then he departed leaving Mickey in a very empty apartment. He put his fingers to his bruised lips.

"That _hurt_, Harkness." He said, smiling at the closed door.


End file.
